


Almost Gone

by SosearchingRomeo (Breakingthestandards)



Category: Romeo And Juliet - All Media Types, Rómeó és Júlia (Színház)
Genre: M/M, everybody lives au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 18:12:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4489701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breakingthestandards/pseuds/SosearchingRomeo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Duel Tybalt and Mercutio become more open about their relationship. Prompt fill.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Almost Gone

**Author's Note:**

> Tycutio prompt: secret lovers!Mercutio and Tybalt always go overboard pretending to hate each other in front of everyone else. They realize they've pushed it too far after only almost (!) dying in the duel. And then everyone's like "wtf" when they start being civil and kinda flirty with each other in public (an everyone lives AU) ^w^ Requested by Anonymous on Tumblr.

**Almost Gone**

“Oh my God. Did I just see him flirt? With that icicle of a Capulet?”

The men and women of Verona didn’t know what had happened to them or to the city they’d grown up in. Verona had changed rapidly, but the sight of Mercutio patting his own buttocks in front of Tybalt – and the swordsman whistling in response- was too much of a change for any of them to comprehend.

“I thought Tybalt only liked women?” One crestfallen young girl pouted.

“I thought Mercutio hated that bloke.” Another said.

The girls had gathered around the group of men who stood on the square, challenging each other, whistling and exchanging words of a dubious nature.  
No need to say all the girls looked kind of flushed, with rosy cheeks and blown pupils, as they watched one young man tap the bottom of the other.

“I’ll get you for that, Cutio!” Tybalt yelled, his leather clad fist shown high up in the air and the crowd around him sighed dreamily.

“It is a pity they are into each other.” One of the older girls said. Her friend elbowed her. “Pity as it might be, imagine you’d be between them and got to share them?”

“Both?” One of the girls asked.

“Both.” Another said. “Both is good.”

-~-~

“Perhaps it’s time to cut the crap.” Those words coming out of Tybalt’s mouth made Mercutio flinch. The boy tried to hide himself behind all his bandages because truth to be said he had expected something like this to happen sooner or later.

“Sure. Treat me like the dirt at the back of your shoe. Why not? Brush me off and leave me on my back, waiting for another to step on me and drag me even further.”

Tybalt huffed and a small smile tugged his lips. Yet the glance in his eyes betrayed he was displeased by the boy’s comment.

“That’s not what I meant,” His rough voice sounded. “We’re done pretending.”

This got Mercutio’s interested and the boy tried to sit up straight. For the first time he watched the man in front of him. The black scarf was loosely tied round the bandages covering his neck. The dried trace of blood seeping through was a repulsing sight but Mercutio was glad that it wasn’t as bright anymore as it used to be. At least he was healing. Black and blue bruises cover the Capulet’s face and though clothes covered the areas, Mercutio knew that his chest was bruised too from when Romeo had kneed him. All in all, Tybalt was a sore sight to see and that he had survived was a miracle.

Tybalt noticed Mercutio giving him the once over and his jaw set. “You’re not a pretty sight yourself.” He commented dryly and Mercutio grinned a painful smile.

“At least you didn’t knife me in the face.” His hand wandered to the bandages covering his chest. His blouse was open, still covering him modestly but not buttoned to leave room for his bandages. How both managed to survive was a miracle, though they attributed it to Lady Capulet’s quick thinking (she’d been the one to have Peter ring an ambulance) and the Prince who had ordered their transport to the best private clinic in Italy.

“Now what do you mean?” Mercutio sighed, suddenly feeling too tired to jest. It took a lot of effort for him to lay down on his back again without moving too quickly and without too much pain. He finally came to rest on the bed and turned his head to face his former nemesis.

“I mean that I’m done pretending, Mercutio.” Tybalt pushed himself away from the radiator to which he’d been leaning and stepped closer to the bed. He was in Mercutio’s chamber right now and placed his hands on the edge of the bed, leaning over the boy resting there. “And so are you. I’m not willing to hide anymore. If they cast us out, throw us out, then so be it. But I’m done with all the straight crap.”

Mercutio chuckled and flashed him a painful smile. His chest hurt and his face contorted. “You’re only saying this because we’re far away from Verona. You’ll change your mind again once we’re back.”

“Will I?” Tybalt’s face was set, lines harsh and expression stern like his whole face was made out of stone. Mercutio had to look away because he knew that right now Tybalt was very serious about this.

“It’ll damage my reputation as a clown.” The fire-haired boy muttered, and Tybalt threw his head back in a rough laugh. The bandage round his neck began to colour again and Mercutio’s eyes widened in fright. The boy did some quick thinking and hit the red button at the head of his bed to alarm the nurses.

“Silly fool,” Tybalt murmured to him, bending over him and tracing a finger delicately down his cheek. “You lost credibility as a joker the day you almost died.”

One of the nurses came running in and Mercutio pointed at his partner. She understood what he meant immediately and called for another nurse to come help her.

“That’s a nasty wound you have there, mister Capulet. It’s bleeding again, perhaps you damaged the stitches. You should be taking rest as we instructed you.” She said while she led him out of Mercutio’s chamber.

The boy was left cuddling his blankets and thinking, but he fell asleep with a smile.

-~-~

The sun was shining over beautiful Verona. Many of the citizens had started to wear colourful clothes which blinded your sight in the sunlight that caressed the city.

Tybalt stood next to Mercutio and tapped his sunglasses firmer onto his nose.

“Look at that. Such a merry bunch. It hurts my eyes.” He grumbled.

Mercutio merely smiled at him and squeezed is hand gently. “Come on, we’ve got to find Benvolio. I promised that I’d always seek him out first. Then we can pay a visit to my boring uncle and to your aunt and uncle.” He licked his lips. “I do hope your aunt has forgotten me.”

Tybalt raised a brow. “What? A flirt like you? Are you kidding?”

The other boy chuckled nervously and dragged his partner along.

“My God,” One of the women in the street said, “Did you see that? They’re still alive.”

“Wasn’t that Mercutio? HOLDING Tybalt’s hand?”

“Ah, Benvolio.” Mercutio greeted the smaller man who jumped in fright at the sight of the two figures approaching. “What’s the matter? It looks like you’ve seen a ghost?”

Benvolio covered his chest with his hand and glanced nervously at Rosa who stood by his side. Mercutio caught the eye movement and smirked. “Ah, so something blossomed while I was away, eh? I don’t blame her.” He then turned to Rosa and bowed mockingly (and as far as his healing wound would allow him). “He’s very beautiful, don’t you agree, Rosa?”

“Well, he is.” Rosa stammered.

“Fuck, Mercutio, stop toying with me.” Benvolio tore the red-head away from his girl and pushed him a few steps backwards. Mercutio winced when his friend’s hands touched his chest. Within seconds the raven-haired Capulet had jumped in between them and was roughly pushing Benvolio away.

“Careful, careful!” Mercutio shouted, placing his hands on Tybalt’s shoulders to calm the growling man.

“Got yourself a hound, Mercutio?” Benvolio dared to ask once Tybalt had stepped away from him. The Capulet was still glaring at him.

“A cat, actually.” Mercutio quipped with a pleased curl of the lips.

“Sorry man, I didn’t want to hurt you. So you survived that wound. That actual wound? It wasn’t you acting was it?” Benvolio asked shyly whilst scratching the back of his head.

“Nah, it was real.” Mercutio said with a  gracious sweep of the arms. The way Tybalt’s eyes slid to his form, so filled with love and adoration, made Rosa nudge her boyfriend and now Benvolio saw it too. His jaw dropped.

“But he tried to kill you!” He suddenly shouted, drawing attention from onlookers.

Mercutio rolled his eyes. “He did not try to kill me. Pay attention, Benvolio. Please?”

Benvolio waited silently for a further explanation but Mercutio took his time to spin in a circle and then sit down on a concrete block at the opposite side of Benvolio.

“Why would he try to kill me?” He said, looking up at Tybalt.

Tybalt looked down at him. “Why indeed, when he’s been ever so lovely.”

“Ah, now that was sarcastic!” Benvolio pointed out, pointing a finger at Tybalt who grinned at him and finally took off his sunglasses.

“Perhaps it was.” Tybalt admitted, giving Benvolio the feeling that perhaps there was some truth to his words after all. The poor boy grew red from embarrassment.

“Does it matter that we’ve been fucking behind everyone’s back for the past seven years?” Mercutio casually dropped.

A moment of utter and terrifying silence.

Then at the same time Tybalt yelled “Do you have to let him know?” and

Benvolio shouted “Oh my God, my ears! My mind!”

Mercutio chuckled. “Calm down. Tybs, I told you I always tell Ben everything.”

“You always said you tell me everything I need to know.” Benvolio corrected him.

Mercutio looked at him and blinked. “Yes. So?”

“So,” Benvolio carefully tried to explain, but his tact failed him, “This wasn’t something I NEEDED to know.”

“Rosa always tells me everything whether I need to know it or not.” Tybalt suddenly said with a mischievous grin. Rosa looked away. “Like the size of your-“

Benvolio interrupted him smoothly. “Enough! Okay? Just let me have some time to get used to this idea, okay?”

They agreed.

-~-~

“Romeo, you can’t intend to remain mad?” Mercutio asked when his friend had given him the cold shoulder.  The Montague was heading into an alley, knowing fully well that it would lead to nothing but sewers, and was determined not to look his friend in the eye ever again. So it seemed.

But Mercutio wouldn’t let it get to that. He reached for Romeo’s hand and managed to grab him by the wrist. In one smooth spinning motion the two stood face to face and though Romeo tried to avoid Mercutio’s eyes, he ended up gazing at the young man’s lips, then felt his eyes move upward on their own accord.

“How could you do this?” He questioned.

“Do this? Do what, Romeo?”

“Betray us like that? You openly flirt with him, Mercutio. Him. He is evil. He’s like…. He almost killed you even and you kiss his boot? You grab his lapels? You pull him in close and Gods, you even bring your lips….” Romeo couldn’t continue as tears threatened his eyes and he grimaced.

“But Romeo? Why should I not? He’s my boyfriend.”

That messed up Romeo’s idea of the world greatly.

-~-~

“The beer tastes good today.” Mercutio raised his glass and cheered. “Another glass!”

Next to his side was Tybalt, looking like a thundercloud had formed above his head (as usual). He raised his nicely sculpted glass filled with a delicious red liquid. “You should get off the beer and try the wine, Cutio. It’s divine.”

“So anyway, there I was, and Paris was there as well. And this- ahahaha- this is the funny bit, listen…” Romeo stood at the bar and was clearly boasting about his adventures trying to get to marry Juliet and then thinking she was dead and confronting Count Paris in the tombs.

Unfortunately Prince Escalus, Mercutio’s uncle, had decided that the secret marriage between Romeo and Juliet wasn’t legit and Friar Laurence had been reprimanded and replaced. Though the two youngsters were courting now – Count Paris had betrothed the Capulet Nurse for some unknown reason and was no longer a threat to the two lovebirds- they weren’t ‘officially married’. Something which Juliet was very angry about. Romeo didn’t mind it that much. The thing he cared about the most was that he had some exciting tales to tell and that the people loved listening to him.

At the table furthest from the bar, in a dim corner, his friends were seated. Benvolio, Rosa, Mercutio and Tybalt – the last still not considered a friend but no one dared to part him from Mercutio.

“Oh, look at that. This is going to be good.” Mercutio laughed and he pointed at the door.

For in the doorway stood Paris with the Nurse by his side. They were joined by the arm and approached Romeo as one. “Ah, good old Romeo, my friend. What happy tales are you presenting these good fellows with now?”  

“I… er..” Romeo stammered and had to come up with a witty reply. “The story of how I once killed an ant.” Well, it wasn’t a talent of his.

Mercutio rolled his eyes. Romeo turned to him and his eyes pleaded silently for his support, but the young Escalus waved his hand and mouthed “You’re on your own”. Romeo didn’t look very happy at hearing that.

“Come, leave them be.” Tybalt said, rising from the bench to stretch his legs.

“There’s something I wish to show you tonight.” He held out a hand for Mercutio to take, and the boy did after gazing at the Capulet’s palm for a good full minute – his skin was a bit rough but looked so sexy and delicious to him.

“Where are you taking me?” He whispered in Tybalt’s ear, clutching his glass close to his chest.

Tybalt merely smiled at him and caressed his cheek.

“I’ll tell you when you switch the beer for wine.”

Mercutio chuckled and picked up Tybalt’s wineglass, then followed the Capulet outside where they walked to the nearest hill and Tybalt had him sit down on the little stone wall that was build there, surrounding the small chapel.

“Mercutio.” Tybalt breathed, the glasses set aside and hands wrapping round hands.

Mercutio looked at him and Tybalt knelt down on one knee.  
  
The young Escalus gasped and placed his hands to his cheeks. “My God, Tybalt? Is that a ring?”


End file.
